ABSTRACT
Ever since the establishment of the European Community, greater efforts have been devoted to achieving economic integration than to securing political integration. This reflects a far broader consensus—varying, of course, over time and among specific issues—for economic than political integration. It also reflects the recognition from the outset by the proponents of political integration that their objective could be achieved only if it were preceded by a high degree of economic integration and of benefits visible therefrom to the peoples of Europe. Thus, a review of the recent history of integration efforts necessarily begins with the economic side, where the focal point—but by no means only element—since 1985 has been the European Community (EC) 1992 program. However, these data merely give a general indication of the response of the private sector to the acceleration in economic integration; they provide little specific connection between the single market program and the expected economic benefits.
